2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brear
An occupational surname referring to a brewer or maker of beer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Brear. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brear surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brear with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Brear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brear, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brear
The surname BREAR has its origins in the Yorkshire region of England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bræra," meaning a slope or hillside, indicating that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived on a hillside or sloping terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brere." This historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, serves as a valuable source for tracing the origins and distribution of surnames in England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Brere" and "atte Brere," reflecting the use of locational prefixes common during that era. These prefixes often indicated a person's place of origin or residence, further solidifying the connection between the name and its geographical roots.
Notable individuals bearing the BREAR surname include:
1. John Brear (1545-1620), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Salisbury Cathedral.
2. William Brear (1690-1756), a prominent merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, known for his philanthropic endeavors.
3. Elizabeth Brear (1720-1799), a renowned botanist and horticulturist who contributed significantly to the study and cultivation of plants in the 18th century.
4. Richard Brear (1812-1887), a pioneering industrialist and engineer who played a crucial role in the development of early steam engines.
5. Margaret Brear (1875-1948), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights in the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the BREAR surname has been associated with various place names, such as Brear Hill and Brear Moor, found in Yorkshire and surrounding areas. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
While the BREAR surname may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over time, its roots can be traced back to the Yorkshire region of England, where it was initially derived from the Old English word "bræra," reflecting the landscape and terrain associated with the name's earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brear
Among Census respondents with the surname Brear, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brear bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Brear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 91
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brear
Brear appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,749 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,749 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 2,650 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Brear surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #154,182 | -1.7% |
| Count | 108 | 103 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brear bearers went from 108 to 103 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 2,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #154,182.
FAQ
Brear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brear?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Brear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Brear?
Brear ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Brear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brear.
Has Brear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brear went from 108 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Brear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brear, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Black (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Brear (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Brear mean?
An occupational surname referring to a brewer or maker of beer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Brear (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Brear?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.